Wire covering machine



Nov. 18, 1941. l M, `BRQDEUR l2,263,287

WIRE GOVERING MACHINE v Filed Jan. 1o, `1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 a7 72 l?3o /6- :l /q l l H /l 2;--1 o 2a 4 5" lNvENToR.

ATTORNEY Nov. 18, 1.941. M BRODEUR WIRE COVERING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Jan. l0, 1941 INVENTOR JVM ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 18., 1941WIRE oovEmNG MACHINE Magloire Brodeur, Providence, R. I., assignor ofone-half to Eleuterio Mollcone, Johnston, l

Application January 1o, 1941, serial No. 373,986

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a wire covering machine, and more particularlyto mechanism for winding wire with lamentary m-aterial in superposedlayers for wear resistant or insulating purposes.

One object of the invention is the provision in a device of thischaracter of a mechanism which comprises supporting frames adapted foradjustment relative to each other, carrying respectively winding andafter treating means for laying filaments upon the Wire and aftertreating the same to form a compact and cohesive covering.

Another object' ofthe invention is the provision of means for laying aplurality of filaments spirally about a wire `in generally superposedrelation with each other during a single winding operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mechanism of thecharacter described provided with wire winding and after treating meansarranged for successive operation to suitably apply filaments to thesurface of the wire and subject the wireand filaments to appropriateafter treatment for retaining the filaments in their wire coveringpositions and incorporate them into a unitary structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improveddetails of construc` tion and novel arrangements of the parts as will bemore fully set forth in the detailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of the mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line3-3 of Fig. 1, showing a portion of the mechanism in elevation,

Fig, 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken substantially along the line5-5 of Fig. 2, and showing the manner of operating the traversingmechanism for winding the finished wire on the spool, and

Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of the drawing roll and winding spool,showing the manner of driving the spool from the drawing roll.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, I designatesgenerally a supporting frame which may be of any suitable or desiredcharacter and may comprise a base 2 provided with spaced uprightstandards 3 mounted thereon base and secured in fixed position thereonby means of a clamping sleeve 5. Spaced arms 6 carried by the base areadapted to support a reel 8 carrying the wide to be treated, and a guidemember 3 is provided for guiding the wire I from the reel 8 to anopening II formed in the tubular `guide member 4, in order that the wiremay pass upwardly in the guide member 4 and through a restricted openingformed in a guide plate I2 positioned within the tubular member 4 at apoint adjacent to the upper end thereof for maintaining the wire I0 in arelatively xed position as it passes upwardly from the tubular-member 4.

A table I4 is mounted for rotation about the tubular member 4, beingsupported for rotation on the tubular member by means of supportingplates I which maybe secured to the tubular member 4 in any suitable ordesired manner to provide bearings for the table I4. The table I4supports a plurality of thread carriers I6 and a corresponding number ofthread guides I'I for guiding threads 'or filaments I8 from the carriersto the wire Ill. Each thread guide I1 may comprise a fixed section I9and a movable section adjustably connected with each other and adaptedtobe secured together in vertically adjustedpositions by means ofsuitable clamping connections 2 I.

The table I4 is provided with an edge groove 22 to receive a drivingbelt 23 driven from a pulley 24 carried by the shaft 25 of a motor 26.The motor 26 may be secured to and supported u by the auxiliary frame 28through connections 29, as shown herein, or may becarried by separatesupporting means mounted upon the base 2 if desired. When the motor issupported from the auxiliary frame 28, as shown herein, the lowerportion of the motor shaft 25 may be mounted for rotation andlongitudinal sliding movement in a bearing sleeve carried by or suitablysupported from the base 2, in order to permit operation of the mechanismin different vertically adjusted positions of the motor 26 relative tothe base 2. It will be understood that the pulley 24 carried by theshaft 25 is adapted to be xedly secured to the shaft in any one of aplurality of vertically adjusted positions, in order to position thesame in driving relation with the table I4 in different verticallyadjusted positions of the motor 26. In this way, vertical adjustment ofthe auxiliary frame 28 may be had while permitting rotation of the and atubular guide member 4 carried by the 55 table AI4 from the shaft 25through the pulley 24 and drive belt 23 in all vertical positions of themotor 26.

The auxiliary frame 28 is mounted for vertical adjustment on thestandards 3, and is held in any one of a plurality of adjusted positionsthereon by nuts 34. While two spaced standards 3 are shown herein assupporting the auxiliary frame 28, addi-tional supporting standards maybe employed for this purpose as may be found desirable, and suchadditional standards may be arranged in pairs and provided with nuts orother holding means for supporting the auxiliary frame in variousadjusted positions relative to the base.

The auxiliary frame 28 may comprise a transverse frame member 35receiving the upper end portions of the standards 3 and a rearwardlyextending frame portion 36 forming a receptacle 31 having a cover 38 andadapted to receive wax or other coating or impregnating material asindicated at 89, in a liquid or semi-liquid state suitable forimpregnating or coating the filamentary material to increase theinsulating or wear resistant qualities of the covering. A pair oftransverse rods or rolls 40 are carried by the portion 36 of theauxiliary frame and located within the receptacle 31, being positionedbelow the surface of the liquid 39 therein to guide the wire I below thesurfa-ce of the liquid after the application of the laments to the wire.

A second tubular guide member 42 is adjustably mounted in the transverseframe member 35 and a set-screw 43 is provided for holding the tubularguide member 42 in any one of a plurality of vertically adjustedpositions in the frame member, depending upon lthe vertical positioningof the auxiliary frame 28 with respect to the base 2 and the desiredspacing of the guide member 42 from the guide member 4 for applying thefilaments 'to the wire. A guide plate 44, having a restricted guideopening formed therein is positioned within the lower end of the tubularguide member 42 to co-operate with the guide plate I2 for maintainingthe wire IIJ in a definitely xed location as it receives the lamentsfrom the carriers I6.

Vertical standards 45 are carried by the frame 28 to support rotatably aguide pulley 46 for guiding the wire I0 as it passes from the tubularguide member 42, and similar standards 41 support a drawing roll 48 forcarrying the treated wire after its passage under the guide rolls 4D andthrough the after treating bath in the receptacle 31.

The drawing roll 48 not only supports the wire f but carries amultiplicity of turns of the treated wire, which may be of a numbersuflicient to extend nearly the length of the roll 48. The roll 48 isprovided at one end with a drive pulley 50 carrying a drive belt 5I bywhich the roll 48 may be driven at a constant speed from the motor shaft25. The opposite end of the roll 48 is `provided with a drive pulley 52for driving a spool 54 on which the finished wire is to be wound.

Rearwardly extending arms 55 support a spool 54 for receiving the wireafter it leaves the roll 48, the spool 54 being driven from the Pulley52 through a drive belt 53 and pulley 56 carried by the spool shaft 51.Resilient driving means (not shown) may be employed between the spool 54and the drive pulley 52 carried by the drawing roll, together with anysuitable slip connection for obtaining the necessary variation in axisspeed of the spool 54 as the Wire is wound on the spool, withoutexerting a pull on the drawing roll or otherwise interfering with itsoperation. For driving the drawing roll 48 from the shaft 25, as well asthe wire traversing mechanism, a pulley is carried by that portion ofthe motor shaft 25 located upon the opposite side of the motor 26 fromthat to which the pulley 24 is secured, and a belt 6I operativelyconnects the pulley 60 with a pulley 62 carried by an idler shaft 63supported rotatably in one or more bearings 64 carried by a portion ofthe auxiliary frame 28. The idler shaft is provided with a pulley 65 fordriving the drawing roll 48 through the belt 5I and also carries a cam61 engaging a yoke 68 formed in one end of a lever 10, the lever 10being pivotally supported, as at 1I, from a portion of the auxiliaryframe 28. The opposite end of the lever 10 is pivotally connected, as at12, with a link 13 for oscillating a traversing guide arm 14 which issupported by the auxiliary frame 28, as at 15, and provided with guidemeans 16 for laying the wire I0 upon the spool 54.

In the operation of the mechanism above described, the wire I0 from thespool 8 is drawn over the guide pulley 9 into the opening II of thetubular member 4 and upwardly through the restricted opening in theguide plate I2 from which it passes through the restricted opening inthe guide plate 44 and upwardly through the tubular guide member 42 topass over the guide pulley 46. From that point the wire I0 is passeddownwardly into the receptacle 31 and under the rolls 48, and thenupwardly over the drawing roll v48 and then through the guide means 16carried lby the traversing guide arm 14 for laying it upon vthe spool 54as the spool is rotated through its driving connections from the drawingrolls 48. In passing from the guide block I2 to the guide block 44 aplurality of strands or filaments I8 are applied to the surface of thewire IIJ in the form of spiral windings, which are preferably applied insuperposed layers through the dierent heights of the guides I1. That is,it may be found desirable to employ iilaments of different materials forthe different layers of spiral windings, as, for example, the rstwinding to be applied to the wire may consist of a rubber thread takenfrom one of the carriers I6 and passed through the lowest of the severalguides I1, the next lament to be applied may be a silk thread from oneof the carriers I6 passed through the next highest of the guides I1. Theremaining threads or filaments to be applied, whether one or more innumber, may be of cotton, jute or other fibrous material, or even of thesame material as that of the second filament applied, are taken from theremaining carrier or carriers employed and passed through a guide orguides I1 of progressively greater height than those previouslymentioned in such a manner that each successive thread or filament isdirected into Contact with the wire at a point above the thread nextadjacent thereto. In this way, each thread or lament is applied as aseparate spiral winding to form a surface covering of substantiallyuniform diameter throughout its extent. By reason of their differentpoints of application each thread or filament is applied independentlyof the others, since those applied at the lower heights from the surfaceof the table I4 are complete in their spiral application before thoseapplied from higher points are formed on the upwardly moving Wire.

Thus, for example, the rubber thread mentioned as rst applied, forms aspiral layer directly on the wire, the silk thread next applied forms aspiral winding over the previously applied rubber thread, and thecotton, or vother threads, in one or more layers are each superposed onthe layer last before applied. In this way, a plurality of spiralwindings may be built up as superposed layers on the wire, each of thelater applications tending to assist in holding the initial layers rmlyin position on the wire.

After the application of the various layers of wound material, the WireI passes upwardly through the tubular guide member 42 and over thepulley 46, then down through the receptacle 31 where the layers ofapplied material are subjected to impregnation or partial impregnationby wax or other binding material 39 contained in the receptacle.

wound wire tends to compact and amalgamate the coverings, and by the useof a binder of a suitable character, not only binds the applied layerstogether, but may increase substantially the insulating qualities of theapplied coating.

'Through operation of the mechanism above described a definite andsubstantially xed quality of the wire coating may be obtained, whereinthe coating may comprise layers of different materials superposed oneupon the other in any desired order of radial arrangement, and whereinthe materials applied may possess different wear resistant andinsulating qualities but so arranged in the order of their applicationas to best protect the wire from abrasion and at the saine time give itmaximum insulation.

In driving the winding spool 54 from the drawing roll 48 a tension meansof a suitable character may be positioned between the drawing roll 48and the spool 54 to apply such tension to the wire as may be desirablefor laying it evenly on the surface of the spool, which tension meansmay be suitably positioned on the guide arm` 14, such as by associationwith the guide means 16.

While I have shown the several parts as driven by pulleys and connectingbelts for operating the mechanism, it will be understood that suitablegears and gear trains may be substituted therefor with such suitableshaft connections as may be desired for operatively interconnecting theoperating parts for drivingthe same from the motor or other powersource.

What I claim is: y

1. A mechanism for applying a filamentary covering to a wire comprisingseparate supporting frames, means adjustably connecting said supportingframes for securing them in any one of a plurality of `adjustedpositions relative to each other longitudinally of the path of travel ofthe wire, opposed guide members each carried by one of said frames forguiding the wire, filament supporting means carried by one of saidframes provided with a plurality of filament carriers and mounted formovement about the path of travel of the wire, guide means carried bysaid lament supporting means and located each in inwardly spacedrelation with a carrier radiallyl of the filament support for guiding aplurality of filaments into position for application to the Wire inspaced positions longitudinally of the wire, means carried by the otherof said frames for drawing the wire through said opposed guide members,and means for driving said wire drawing means and filament supportingmeans in substantial synchronism comprising a single drive shaftprovided with power transmitting members adjustable relative to eachother longitudinally of the shaft for operating said wire drawing andiilament supporting means.

2. A wire covering mechanism comprising a iixed tubularl guide memberand a movable tubular guide member, said members being located in spacedaxially aligned relation with each other and having wire receivingopenings of a size only slightly in excess oi the diameter of the wire,means for securing said movable guide member in any one of a pluralityof adjusted positions relative to said xed tubular guide member whileretaining the guide members in axial alignment, a filament supportrotatably carried by said fixed guide member, filament carriers mountedupon said filament support, separate adjustable guides for saidfilaments mounted on said lament support and having their several guideportions located at varying distances from the plane of rotation of theiilament support to direct the separate :filaments into contact with thewire at points. spaced from each other longitudinally of the wire, andmeans for rotating said lament support and drawing the wire through saidguide members simultaneously and in substantially synchronized relation.

3. A wire covering mechanism comprising tubular guide members located inaxially aligned relation with each other, one of said guide membersbeing stationary and the other guide member being mounted for axialadjustment toward and from said stationary guide member, wire guidingmeans carried by said tubular guide members and having restrictedopenings for receiving'the wire to hold the same in iixed line positionduring its movement between said guide members, a lament support mountedupon said stationary guide member for rotation about said guide memberas a center, lament carriers rotatably mounted upon said support,longitudinally adjustable lament guides carried by said support andmounted to project outwardly from the plane of rotation of the support,said filament guides having the guide portions thereof terminating atvarying distances fromthe plane of rotation of the support to direct thedifferent laments into engagement with the wire at points spaced fromeach other longitudinally of the wire, means for rotating said lamentsupport, and means for imparting travel t0 the wire in substantiallytimed relation with the movement of said filament support.

4. A wire covering mechanism comprising a base, a tubular upright wireguiding member carried by the base, a filament support rotatably mountedupon said wire guiding member, filament carriers rotatably mounted onsaid filament support, frame supporting means carried by the base, aframe mounted upon said supporting means and provided with a tubularguide member located in axially aligned relation with said rst namedguide member, means for securing said frame in any one of a plurality ofvertically adjusted positions relative to said base, means securing saidlast named tubular guide member in any one of a plurality of verticallyadjusted positions relative tosaid first named tubular guide member, awire drawing roll carried by said frame, and means for driving said rolland rotating said lament support simultaneously and in substantialsynchronism in any one of a variety of vertically adjusted positions ofsaid frame relative to said base.

MAGLOIRE BRODEUR.

